Overcoming your leadership roadblocks

April 9, 2023

We all have improvement opportunities and face roadblocks in our roles - it’s no different for leaders. By recognising these, we can implement strategies to become a more effective leader.

Potential leadership roadblocks include:

1. No formal leadership training.
Many leaders fall into a role with no formal training. Leadership skills must be learned and practised.
2. Lack of clarity or alignment.
A leader that’s not aligned with the company vision, or able to clearly articulate this, will create confusion for the team.
3. Purpose and values not lived into.
Why do you exist for your customers? What values does your organisation use as a framework for decision making and interaction? If you can’t articulate these, your customers won’t understand the value you provide.
4. Poor communication.
Failure to communicate expectations results in frustration and disengagement; ultimately damaging company culture.
5. Us and them attitude.
Some leaders fail to ensure the team feel valued and included, resulting in high team turnover, low job satisfaction, lack of innovation and poor results.

So, now we’ve identified potential roadblocks, what can we do to overcome them?

1. Undertake leadership training.
This could be an online course, webinar/seminar, or coaching. The more you learn, the more effective you’ll be as a leader.
2. Develop a clear plan.
Ensure all leaders have the same vision for the business. Working with an independent coach or advisor can ensure leaders are aligned.
3. Clearly communicate with the team.
Update the team regularly with your plan and vision and how their roles and tasks fit into the bigger picture. This goes both ways; ensure your team is comfortable communicating with you.
4. Articulate your purpose and values.
Ensure your team understands why you exist for your customers and lives into your values. Develop a set of Core Values with your team and celebrate when they’re being lived into.
5. Inspire the team.
Work alongside the team to produce outcomes that individuals, and the team, can be proud of. Celebrate wins as a team and schedule regular catch ups with individuals to ensure everyone feels valued, engaged and loyal to the purpose.

Being a leader can be tough; from having courageous conversations to lift performance and culture, to trusting someone else to do as good a job of it than you can. But being a leader should also be rewarding, that team member you helped develop a new skill, who now does a better, more efficient job than you did - is ultimately a win for you and the business.

We all can, and should, continuously develop our leadership skills. If you’d like help identifying areas where you could improve your skills, get in touch for more information about our Leadership Self-assessment Worksheet and start working to overcome your roadblocks.